Hey marshy - As discussed today over the phone I have entered St George round 1/2 SMSP......my first race meet. I am feeling slightly excited but mostly freaking out.
I am taking you up on your offer of putting together a brief beginners guide to the day to help us newbies out. I assume the Saturday morning can be a bit hectic and even more so if you have no idea what's going on.
Feels like my first day at school.......hope I don't get beat up!
Thanks in advance.
Awesome John!! Happy to help out mate; I remember my first time....
I'll jot some thoughts down, and other experienced members should feel free to chime in with advice, tips and thoughts.
1. Arrive early
Firstly, and I can't stress this enough, get there early!! I'm often the first in the queue at the gates (I remember a meet at Wakefield probably 2 years ago now when I was first at the gate by much more than an hour! Having driven directly from Sydney...).
At the Creek (sorry, SMP) the gates open pretty early. The final instructions say 6:30am, but often they are open quite a bit earlier than this, and aiming for 6am wouldn't hurt. Being early allows you time to get organised and work out where to go without being stressed. Or rushed.
Entry tickets and vehicle passes: You will receive 3 entry tickets in the mail with your final instructions a few days before the event. Don't leave these at home, or they will charge you an entry fee at the gate! You can also use your ARDC membership pass to enter, thus saving one ticket for use by family or friends etc. You should also get 1 vehicle pass to put on the dashboard of your car. If you ask really nicely, you can usually leave tickets at the gate for friends to pick up later, but please make life easy for the ticket-collector volunteers and put the tickets in a clearly marked envelope! All tickets look the same otherwise.
Trailers: Enclosed trailers that are parked in front of garages and are actively being 'worked out of' (ie open and with gear in them) can be left where they are, but open trailers that have been unloaded are asked to move out of the pits carpark. Please complyk, as leaving lots of open trailers lying around all weekend means that people can't park their cars/utes/vans etc near their garages. Bring a lock for your trailer (not that you desperately need one - the whole place gets locked at night), and move it out of the busy area.
2. Find your garage
Know your garage number before you get there and head straight for it. Your garage number is on your final instructions, which are mailed to you a day or two before the event. There will also be a list of garage allocations online. Garage 50 is at pit exit, and Garage 1 is all the way up near pit entry. Unload bike and stands, but leave the bike outside your garage (carpark side), ready to push up to scrutineering. If you are early enough, unpack all your other gear too, but start with your helmet, suit, boots, gloves and back protector. You will need these early on. It's easier if you turn up to the track with the bellypan already removed from the bike (although for f@#k's sake, don't leave the thing at home!), or you need to remove it first thing after you get there.
3. Scrutineering
At 6:45, push your bike up to scrutineering, which is the green shed/double garage standing on its own partway between the control tower (near garage 1, at the far end from where you drive in) and the Turn 4 track exit. Park your bike against the chicken-wire fence, or bring a triangle MX stand (or best yet, a helper to hold your bike!), and join the queue.
Walk to the control tower - with your race licence! - and enter via the door on the very left, up a small flight of stairs. There may already be a queue out the door. You need to register with race control before you can get your bike or gear scrutineered, as they give you a scrutineering card once you've signed on. This process won't normally start before 7am, although it might be a few minutes before if we are lucky.
With scrutineering card in hand, hot-foot it back to your waiting bike in the scrutineering queue, where scrutineering has just opened, and proceed to have the bike checked over for lockwiring, throttle return etc and water only in the radiator. Make sure you've done this, because it'll ruin your weekend if you still have coolant in and they send you away to try to find a hose to flush it out.
Once your bike is done, push it straight back to the garage, dump it and immediately grab your riding gear and return to the scrutineering garage for a gear and helmet check. Once that's done, you're finished and ready to return to your garage, set up all the ancillary stuff (tables, chairs, coffee machine), put your bellypan back on, and pop the tyre warmers on the bike. No need to turn them on until about 45mins before you first hit the track, but don't forget!! Set an alarm in your phone. If you haven't already, make doubly sure they are on before you head to the rider's briefing.
4. Timing transponder
At 8am or so, head back to the control tower and pick up your transponder. Take a $50 deposit, and if you don't have one already you need an additional $15 (now $20??) to buy a transponder bracket. You can use a credit card by filling in a form too, but cash is muuuuch quicker and easier. Attach the bracket to your upper left fork leg with 2 cable ties (check other bikes for location), and be sure to check it doesn't bind when you turn to full lock!! Many crashes have ensued from this small error.
5. Riders briefing
The riders briefing is in the Hinksman Room, which is upstairs above garage 1 (near the control tower again). It'll be at 8:30am, and is absolutely compulsory, so do not miss it and don't be late either. Take a fresh coffee with you, listen carefully to the briefing (this is not a ride day, and they actually tell you useful stuff you need to know about how this specific weekend will be run - track layout, race order, time of pit exit opening etc), and at the end you must sign the rider's sheet to acknowledge you were at the briefing. There are large fines for not being at (or signing on at) the riders briefing.
Everything is organised by race number, then class (for duplicate race numbers), so when you sign on at the control tower, when you go through scrutineering, the riders briefing sign-on sheets etc, everything is listed in race number order.
6. Track time
Once the track opens at 9am (immediately after the riders briefing, so if you are scheduled to be first on track, be ready!), listen for the calls over the PA, and follow along with which group is on track at the time so that you are ready when it comes to your turn. The first group get a 5 minute warning, but then for the rest of the day there is only a 2 minute siren and then a 30 second siren. The biggest difference to track days is that everyone exits the pits in about 20 seconds - through a narrow gap! It gets chaotic at pit exit, as there's no marshal standing there staggering the riders on exit. Don't be late, as they won't wait for you! It's easy once you get the hang of it... the trick is to be totally ready, helmet on etc prior to the 2 minute siren, so that you can sort the bike and warmers etc at the 2 minute siren, then be riding down the lane the moment the 30 second siren goes off.
Warmup laps should be ridden quickly!! A common error is for people to dawdle around, and it pisses everyone off, from the guys at the front of the grid to the officials waiting to start the race - and all the races after it. Don't go slow; ride quickly around and grid up. Your tyres get cold from riding around slowly.
Know your grid position!! Get some white duct tape and a marker pen and write the row and position, and an indication of where on the row it is (1 in from left, or outside, etc). Pole is on the right-hand side of the grid at SMP, so 4th position is the very inside spot on the front row, next to pit wall etc.
To be continued......
Last edited by Marshy; 24-01-2014 at 09:50 AM. Reason: More info
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make a list of stuff you will need.... then tick each off as you pack. Easy to miss something when your excited / nervous, and its no fun going racing if you have forgotten your boots !
oops im signed in on carls account hehe oooh what to do,
stu
Last edited by Carl-52; 23-01-2014 at 09:46 PM.
Nice write up Marshy!
Dont forget to pack chairs, table, esky, food, TOOLS, Riding Gear, FUEL, License etc. Have the car packed the night before and go over all the stuff in your head a few times to make sure you have everything!
Great work Marshy! The only thing I can think if is if your doing both rounds, remember that you can leave your bike in the shed overnight. They supply padlocks but it's recommended that you add your own additional one to the door. For day 2 you don't need a full rescruitineer but you do have to visit the shed and get a new sticker from memory.
Entry / parking?: I was told to show one of the entry passes they give you on entry and leave it on the vehicle dash. I think an ARDC pass lets you in too?
Last time the security guard was going crazy making the early entry guys move their trailers out to opposite the South Circuit pits. I got picked on ... anyway bring a chain / lock for trailer.
Thanks Marshy!
How the hell would have I worked all that out by myself?
Race you to pole position.....gate opening that is....
Cheers...this is a huge help.
John have done a proper launch on the BMW yet? If I'm not there and you have trouble give me a call. Or find Stu's mate Pete. He rides one as well and has been educated on how Good luck mate. I'm sure you'll have a ball
Pre Modern Formula 1 Champion 2013 (GSXR750T)
www.wet4uracing.com.au Race bike & mechanical prep, fairings and parts - www.bikeshop.com.au (Protech Motorcycles)Tyres, parts and dyno tuning www.stayupright.com.au motorcycle rider training from learners through to track skills - http://worthingtonmotorcycles.com.au BMW, Honda, MV Augusta, Moto Guzzi and Aprilia
Hey Rick,
I have only pulled out of pit lane on the BMW. My first race start will be my first launch in anger....will be interesting.
Funny you mention Pete. He lives around the corner. We are going out to the track together for St George and am also in the same garage. He said he got some tips from you so I will pick his brain however there is every chance I will call you before next weekend.
cheers mate....hope to see you out there.
Bump, so that new racers for next weekend(!!!!) might see this thread....
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IMA Thumb Brakes! Shop now
Annitori QS PRO quickshifters Shop now
Superbike Source Racing: 'Like' our page to keep up-to-date with all our racing
Pre Modern Formula 1 Champion 2013 (GSXR750T)
www.wet4uracing.com.au Race bike & mechanical prep, fairings and parts - www.bikeshop.com.au (Protech Motorcycles)Tyres, parts and dyno tuning www.stayupright.com.au motorcycle rider training from learners through to track skills - http://worthingtonmotorcycles.com.au BMW, Honda, MV Augusta, Moto Guzzi and Aprilia
Mmmmmm, brewed coffee......
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so which garage are you guys in??? i might have to come visit for the coffee!!!!
AKA Tumbleweed #52
Bike: 06 r6 #52 (search for the flouro!!)
Dirt: Honda Cr125r
Major Sponsor:
Jamie is in 35
I'm in 17 with (Sunday only)
you are in 21 (entry form arrived today)
Hey Nick, where is part 2 to this? Getting my nerves on just reading this guide, top stuff!
An online guide from another site: http://teamtiger.com.au/racing-etiquette/
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Impeccable timing marshy...
an awesome read non the less. Still not a drop on race your mates. Although I dropped a valve and didn't to get a chance at RYM the experience was priceless, in preparation for an actual race.
Hopefully someone brings it back in some form. It will get heaps more riders interested, if they can give racing a try without the initial pressure.
Sent from my iPh
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